Shaquille O’Neal is on a mission to revive Reebok’s basketball division — and he’s doing it with a little help from the next generation. He didn’t have to look far for an aide. After becoming President of Reebok Basketball in 2023, his son Shareef O’Neal came on board as an advisor. Naturally, nepo concerns raised a few eyebrows, but the move quickly proved to be a masterstroke.
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Shaq wants to reconnect Reebok with younger audiences, and Shareef (25) has been instrumental in helping his dad understand what today’s hoopers are actually looking for.
On the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Shaq said, “This experience was fun. I got to work with my son.” He added that Shareef has been his “portal to these youngsters.” One of the first major lessons his son taught him? Ditch the high-tops. Once a staple of ’90s and early 2000s basketball fashion, the high-top has lost its throne in the modern game.
“First day I went in, I was like, okay, we’re gonna do all types of new high tops, and my son had to let me know that Gen-Z doesn’t wear high tops anymore. I didn’t know that,” Shaq said on TODAY.
The shift from high tops to low tops began gaining momentum with the rise of the Nike Kobe 4, 5, and 6.
Those sleek silhouettes changed the perception that high-tops were essential for performance and injury prevention. With stars like Kobe Bryant proving that mobility and speed mattered more, the younger generation never looked back. Shaq admitted he had no idea just how outdated that look had become.
If it weren’t for Shareef and his keen insights, Shaq probably would’ve ended up working on some high-top designs too.
Shaquille O’Neal’s son is at a crossroads
Shareef is 25 years old and an ambitious baller, still chasing his NBA dream. It hasn’t quite worked out so far — he last spent a couple of years in the G-League — but it’s a dream he refuses to give up on.
At the same time, working with his dad at Reebok is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So the young man is conflicted, much like so many youngsters around the country have been at some point in their lives.
In the trailer for Power Moves, Shareef admitted, “It’s kind of a weird time for me to help my dad, because I’m also trying to get into the NBA.”
Shareef is also learning a lot from his father about life in the NBA. In the show, Shaq can be seen telling him that being an NBA player requires a lot of sacrifices. The big fella used himself as an example, reminding Shareef that he missed many birthdays and family events because he was busy playing.
Shareef said that, initially, he didn’t understand why his dad wasn’t around most of the time. But as he’s grown up and is now looking to join the league, he understands it was all part of the sacrifices an athlete has to make.
Perhaps leaving Reebok and focusing full-time on life on the court is a step he’ll have to take.
